Brave, You Are
by uhhmalfoy
Summary: "Draco Malfoy placed in Gryffindor? Lucius Malfoys son? Hah, I would've never guessed." Follow Draco Malfoy through his 7 years as a Gryffindor. /slow Dramione/
1. Chapter 1

Here he was. He couldn't believe it. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Everything he had hoped for was finally here. Despite the rude and crude comments his parents had made about Hogwarts, Draco was excited. He wanted to learn all about Wizardry, even though he would never admit it.

He stood with the rest of the first years, ready to be sorted into Slytherin. Well, or course it would be Slytherin. His parents were Slytherin, his grandparents were Slytherin, even his great grandparents. Slytherin was the best house of them all, or at least that's what he was told. Slytherin was for cunning folks, who wanted something and would do anything to achieve it. His parents practically trained him for Slytherin, hanging posters on his walls and telling him all about the great witches and wizards that were in the Slytherin house.

"Draco Malfoy," Proffesor McGonagall shouted. Draco ran a hand over his blonde hair, and stood up in front of his fellow classmates with a smile. It was all beginning here. Everything he had been taught, how he had grown up. It was starting right now in front of his eyes.

"_Ah, quite an easy choice." _The hat whispered into Draco's head. 'Obviously,' Draco thought, while rolling his blue eyes.

"Gryffindor!" The hat shouted. Without thinking, Draco jumped up in anticipation. But then it came to him.

"What?" He blurted out towards the hat the was now back in McGonagall's hand. "No, no. There must be a mistake, this- this is not right!" Draco screamed. All of the students had gone silent. All eyes were on Draco.

"I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy, but the hat makes no mistakes. Please take your seat at the Gryffindor table." She placed a comforting hand on his back, which he shook off. This can't be happening. What would his family think? His friends? Draco took the long walk of shame to the red and gold colored table. He looked up to see Potter and his friends staring daggers at him. Draco took a seat at the far end of the table, all by himself.

'This must be a dream. No, no. Not a dream, a nightmare.' Draco thought. He closed his eyes, hoping when he'd wake up, he would be back in bed at his home, about to get on the Hogwarts Express for the first time. But when he opened them again, nothing happened. He was still sitting at the Gryffindor table, by himself, Crabbe, Goyle, and Snape all staring at him in confusion.

"You know," a female voice said, making Draco jump in realization that this was reality. "You know, everything happens for a reason. You're probably brave, and that's why the hat put you here." The bushy haired girl gave a soft smile. Draco wanted to smile back, and hug her for not insulting him or judging him, like most people did.

But he just stared back. "What would you know, you mudblood?" He whispered through gritted teeth. She looked down at her hands and walked back to her friends. He then again sat by himself with no one and nothing.

This wasn't how things were supposed to go.


	2. Chapter 2

"First years, follow me!" A familiar red-headed boy shouted, gathering all the first year Gryffindors near him. Draco walked slowly behind everyone else, glancing towards the Slytherins, with a look of longing in his eyes. Draco followed the first years up a few flights of stairs, and eventually came in front of a painting of a fat lady.

"Password?" She muttered towards Percy. He said a few words that Draco didn't hear from all the way in the back, and they walked through a doorway into the common room.

The common room looked cozy, and warm. Big red couches, tall bookshelves full of information, and a large fireplace that was emitting a nice glow and a comfortable warmth. Draco grinned slightly, realizing that the Gryffindor common room was nice, and inviting. He didn't feel like an outsider at all. He felt right at home, which was odd.

Draco went up the stairs towards the boys dormitories, looking for his stuff. He found himself in a room with none other than Harry Potter. Draco ran a hand through his hair, and walked towards his bed.

"Well," Potter said, walking towards Draco. "I guess, now that you are Gryffindor, I can finally shake your hand." Harry held out a hand in front of Draco to finally accept the handshake he rejected only hours before. Draco put his hand forward and gripped the other boys hand tightly.

Draco then turned around and rummaged through his trunk to grab a piece of parchment and a quill. He began writing a letter to his parents, explaining how he has been placed in Gryffindor, and he did everything in his power to try to switch, but it wasn't going to happen. He signed his name at the bottom, and sealed the letter before handing it to his owl, Clarus. "Go on, boy." He ushered the owl out of the window and watched him soar into the night, carrying the letter tightly in his beak.

"Hey, Draco, we're heading down to the common room for a bit, care to join us?" Harry motioned towards the door. Draco wanted to go, he really did, but he was exhausted.

"Sorry, mate. I'm pretty tired. Maybe tomorrow?" Draco suggested. Harry nodded with a smile, and walked out the door with Ron, Dean, Seamus, and Neville.

Draco put on his night-clothes and tucked himself into bed, closing his eyes and dreaming that everything was okay. It was okay... wasn't it?


	3. Chapter 3

***A/N*- i can't believe how many people are reading this and following it and reviewing it and ahhh this is crazy! only two chapters in and people like it already im screaming ily all so much! please please please review with any comments or criticism, i really want to know what people think! hope you like this new part, happy reading!**

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Draco opened his eyes to the sight of his roommates around him waking up and getting ready for their first official day at Hogwarts. He pulled the red blankets off of him and stood up, ready to take on the day as a Gryffindor. He grabbed the robes from his trunk and carried them towards the bathroom, along with a few other grooming tools. He wanted to avoid making eye contact with any of the older kids. Being the youngest at a school full of trouble making wizards definitely did not have its perks.

"Watch where you're going, Blondie!" A female voice spat at him. He looked up to see the bushy haired girl from the previous night standing in front of him.

"I'm very sorry... it was an accident..." Draco looked up at her. She had a kind face, a gentle face. Draco felt a touch of warmth in his soul while looking at her. She smiled. Draco felt he could look at her for hours.

"Draco, is it? I didn't mean to yell, sorry. Just didn't get much sleep last night. I'm Hermione, by the way." She stuck out a small hand in front of him, which he hastily took in his own and shook.

"See you at breakfast!" She flipped around and walked off, back into the girls dormitories. Draco shrugged his shoulders and walked back to the bathroom to get ready for today.

Draco quickly got ready and followed a few other first years to the Great Hall for breakfast. Hermione joined him and they made small talk on their way to the hall. They took seats next to each other and ate their breakfast, continuing small talk and learning about each others families, and other things.

"So... you're muggle born?" Draco asked, looking the girl up and down. She nodded, with a mouth full of oatmeal. All his life he had been taught that Mudbloods were a disgrace to wizards everywhere, but he couldn't find a flaw in this girl. Maybe his parents had it wrong.

The familiar sound of owls surrounded him, right as the mail came. He quickly saw his owl, Clarus, and payed attention to him as he swooped down and threw a letter in Draco's lap. It was from his parents. Before thinking, Draco picked the letter up into his hands and ran out of the hall.

He was worried. More than worried. Draco stared at the letter for at least five minutes before hearing the warm voice that was Hermione.

"We can open it together if you want?" She suggested. Draco nodded, and tore the letter open as she sat down next to him on the floor.

_Draco,_

_It is quite unfortunate to hear of your misplacement in the house of Gryffindor. It is an abomination, and an embarrassment to the Malfoy and Black name. You are not the son we raised, Draco. You are no son of ours. We are ashamed of you, just as we were ashamed of Sirius and Andromeda. Please, do not write back, as we do not wish to hear from you. We do not wish for you to be apart of our lives anymore. _

_We are ashamed, Draco. Ashamed._

_-Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. _

_No longer your parents, as you are not our son._

Draco reread the letter and cried. He cried a lot and could not stop crying. He cried into the shoulder of Hermione Granger, a mudblood, wearing Gryffindor clothing and he was okay with it. He was okay with it all. He did not cry because his parents hated him, he cried because he didn't care. Draco began to question whether he was his parents son at all, for the letter did not hurt him. He was glad to finally feel welcome in a place. He was glad he didn't have to pretend to be someone he wasn't anymore.

"I'm sorry about them." Hermione whispered.

"I don't care. I'm okay. With everything." He said.

And he was. He was okay with everythung,


	4. Chapter 4

***A/N* OMG i can't believe how many awesome reviews this has been getting! i've never had a fanfic do this well before and i'm ecstatic and i love you all so much! keep reviewing and keep reading! thank you so much! **

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It was Halloween. Two months had gone by since Draco received the letter from his parents. He had written at least ten more letters to them with no reply. Even though Draco was hurt at the fact that his parents had practically disowned him at his acceptance in the Gryffindor house, he was slight relieved. It was nice being accepted as he truly was, rather than what his parents wanted him to be.

Hermione remained Draco's best- and only- friend. They were joined at the hip ever since that morning Draco received the letter. Plus, Hermione and Draco were both equally abused by others around them. Draco and Hermione found themselves both crying together, unable to understand why everyone hated them as much as they did.

But tonight was Halloween, a night that should have been enjoyable for the duo, right? Wrong. Draco found himself locked in a bathroom stall with hysterical Hermione, who had been crying for hours over the fact that Ron Weasley had been poking fun at her intelligence.

"Oi, don't mind him, he's just a stupid boy. One day you'll be the Minister of Magic and he'll be serving butter beer at a fast-food restaurant. His opinion doesn't matter in the slightest bit." Draco wiped tears off the girls face, wishing she would stop crying. When she hurt, he hurt. It wasn't easy for him to see her like that.

"I just don't know what I'm doing wrong?" She sad, between muffled sobs. Just as Draco opened his mouth to assure Hermione she was perfect in every way, a loud crashing noise came from inside the bathroom. Draco and Hermione walked out of the stall to see a giant troll standing in front of them, followed by Harry and Ron.

"Is this your idea of a joke, Potter? Setting a giant man-eating troll out on us? It's not funny, can't you just leave us alone?" Draco wrapped his small arms around Hermione, trying to get away from the troll, but remaining unsuccessful.

"It wasn't me, I swear!" Harry said, holding his wand out in front of him. "I'm here to try and stop it, I promise!" Harry and Ron both pointed their wands at the troll, and it started to swing its large club around and Draco and Hermione. Draco pulled his wand out as well, and the three of them tried their best to fight off the troll. They eventually knocked it out, and it fell on the floor, generating a large thud.

"Oh my goodness." McGonagall walked in, along with Quirrell and Snape. "What is the meaning of this?" She screeched.

"It was my fault." Hermione said, her voice sound scared and quiet. "I thought I could take on the troll by myself, but I was being stupid and arrogant, Professor. Draco, Ron, and Harry here saved me." She smiled at the three of them. Draco felt a rush of gratitude towards Hermione.

"Well, in that case. 5 points from Gryffindor for Hermione, never put yourself in that sort of situation again. But, not many first years could take on a fully grown troll all by themselves. 5 points to Gryffindor for each of you." McGonagall and the other professors walked out. Draco hugged Hermione.

"Thank you guys, I uh- I couldn't have done it without you." Draco smiled at Harry and Ron, uneasily.

"Yeah, anytime mate." Harry said.

They walked back to the common room together. Maybe Hermione wouldn't be his only friend at Hogwarts. Harry and Ron weren't that bad, they were quite nice people, actually. Draco felt more at home in Gryffindor than he ever did before.


	5. Chapter 5

***** okay so school is starting tomorrow so i wont be able to update as frequently as i have been but ill try my best! and thank you all so much for reading and reviewing and i love you all, hope you like it! ps this will be a boring chapter sorry writers block*****

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Christmas time had finally arrived. Hargrid brought in the giant trees for the Great Hall, and the entire school was decorated. Draco already said goodbye to Hermione as she went home to celebrate Christmas with her parents. If only Draco could do the same.

"Have you heard back from Andromeda yet?" Harry asked him, as he sat down next to Harry and Ron while they were playing a chess game. Draco had written his mothers sister, who was disowned by the family just as he was, hoping to get some sympathy and maybe he wouldn't be completely without family after all.

"Not yet, I'm hoping to soon though." Draco said, watching the chess game. The familiar sound of owls came rushing through, but very few were actually there, due to the lack of people at the school.

Clarus came soaring down to Draco, dropping a letter into his hands. Draco thanked the owl with a bit of food and watched him fly off.

"Hey, its from Andromeda!" Draco pointed out, and gained Harry and Ron's attention.

"Well, whats it say?" Ron tried to snatch the letter out of Draco's hand but Draco had a firm grip on it.

Draco tore open the letter and began to read it:

_Dear Draco,_

_I'm very sorry to hear about your parents. I understand what its like to be ignored by people you love the most. I wish I could say that Narcissa will eventually let you back in, but knowing her, she has already forgotten your name._

_You are more than welcome to spend your Holidays and Summers with us, Draco. Even though we have never met, you are family. Ted, Nymphadora and I are ecstatic to finally meet you. I'm sure it's too late to visit us for Christmas, but I promise that we will be there at Platform 9 3/4 when your first year at Hogwarts ends. _

_Please continue writing, as I have missed 11 years of your life, I would like to make up for it._

_Love, _

_Aunt Dromeda._

A smile had broken out on Draco's face. He had someone after all, he wasn't alone.

"Well, you know you're still welcome at the Weasley house if that doesn't work out!" Ron smiled, and Draco thanked him for his kindness.

"Shouldn't we be getting to the library? Hermione did say we had some research to do..." Draco commented, remember that Nicolas Flamel was still an unknown subject to the group, and the did need information about him and the Sorcerers Stone.

"Always sucking up to her, aren't you Malfoy! Have a crush on her or something?" Ron and Harry laughed as Draco blushed, denying it.

"We will get to the library, don't worry!" Harry assured Draco, and they continued a few more games of chess before heading the the library and doing even more research on Flamel.


	6. Chapter 6

***i'm sorry i havent updated in a while, school has been crazy! but i promise i will try and update more frequently! im sorry, please dont be mad at me! keep reviewing and reading, ily lots! hope you enjoy the new part***

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The rest of the year went by quickly. Draco found himself fighting off evil with Ron, Harry, and Hermione; he would have never imagined himself doing anything like that during his years at Hogwarts.

Gryffindor won the house cup that year, due to the events that occurred with Professor Quirrell and the Philosophers Stone. All in all, despite being blacklisted by his parents, Draco had an amazing first year at Hogwarts. He never seemed to think about his parents, they had completely slipped his mind. It was only late at night, when he was laying in his bed, trying to fall asleep, that the thought of the Slytherin house once again entered his mind. Draco wondered what would've happened if he was a Slytherin?

Would he still have the amazing friends he did now? Most likely not, what Gryffindor wants to associate themselves with a Slytherin? Draco couldn't imagine not being in Gryffindor, not being with his friends, not wearing the gold and red scarf around his neck, it didn't seem right to him. He belonged in Gryffindor. He was meant to be there.

The day had finally come for the Hogwarts students to board the train and go back home; yet Draco was not going 'home'. He was going somewhere else, a place where he would be accepted for who he really was, not who his parents wanted him to be. He was going home, and he could not wait to finally be there.

When the train finally arrived at Kings Cross Station, Draco said goodbye to his friends, promising to write them everyday. He hugged Hermione the longest. He had a special connection with her that he couldn't understand. He cared about her more than he cared and Hermione and Ron. He didn't want to leave her, he wished he could spend the rest of his life with her. Everything felt better when she was around.

But she walked off to greet her parents, and left Draco alone, waiting for his Aunt. He watched her walk away, and felt like a piece of himself left too. Draco watched the spot where she stood in silence, until a hand grabbed his shoulder. He jumped.

"Sorry to frighten you dear," a cheery woman with a bright smile on her face said to Draco. He smiled back, and responed "You must be Aunt Andromeda." He hugged her tightly, making up for the twelve years he hadn't had her in his life.

"It's so lovely to meet you, darling. This is my husband, Ted, and my daughter, Nymphadora." She pointed to another cheery old man, who Draco immediately knew as the 'disgraceful muggleborn' his mother always talked about.

"Please call me Tonks." Nymphadora said, and reached out to hug Draco. She had bright pink hair, which Draco thought was odd, but didn't say anything, because these people were accepting him, he should accept them as well.

"It's lovely to meet you all, thank you again for taking me in." Draco felt awkward, like he was intruding on their life.

"Draco, you are family, and we don't leave family behind." Ted spoke softly, making Draco feel a little better about everything.

He walked with them, before going back to their home, and eating a nice family dinner. He learned all about them, and they asked him about his time at Hogwarts, where he told them all about the Philosophers Stpne. They were impressed, and proud of him; he wasn't used to someone being proud of him.

He went to bed, and thought about how amazing the following months were going to be, and then how excited he was to go back to Hogwarts in September and spend a whole other nine months with his best friends. Draco was happier than he'd ever been with his mom and dad. Draco finally felt like he belonged.


	7. Chapter 7

*****due to popular demand i will be making my chapters a lot longer! keep reading and reviewing, love u all so much xoxoxoxo!******

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Draco's summer went by very quickly. The first few weeks were spent vacation in wizarding Amsterdam with the Tonks. The vacation itself was wonder; Draco learned a lot really interesting things from the wizards and witches in the Netherlands. A part of him wished his parents were there to see it with him.

But only a small part.

The larger part was wishing he could share it all with his friends. He was able to buy them a few small gifts that he was ecstatic to give them. The week before school started back up he was going to stay at the burrow with Harry and Ron. He couldn't wait to see them, he hadn't seen them all summer.

And today was the day that Draco was finally getting to see his friends. He packed his trunk with the usual necessities and the gifts he bought his friends, plus a few sweets that his aunt had made him for the journey. (Even though, it really wasn't that much of a journey. A portkey was a quick five seconds- he wouldn't even have time to eat sweets.)

Draco quickly ate breakfast and looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost time- only a few more minutes.

"Please- oh please, dear, be safe." Aunt Andromeda kissed him on the head, and smiled down at him. Draco had grown to love her like a mother over the last few months- she was more of a mother to him than Narcissa ever was.

"Have fun with the Weasley's, kid. The Burrow sounds like a blast! And don't forget this fudge we made!" Tonks handed him a metal tin of chocolate and peanut butter fudge the whole family had spent all night preparing- including Draco. Cooking was not a skill of his, but he tried his best, and to his surprise, the stuff didn't turn out that bad.

Uncle Ted hugged Draco and gave him so fatherly advice about being twelve and tackling his second year at Hogwarts. Draco pretended to listen but was really thinking about the portkey. He had to go any second now. He placed his hand on the spoon, and smiled. "

"Thanks guys, see you later!" Draco then swirled into an abyss of nothingness before landing on soft grass, looking at what seemed to be something that came directly out of a child's fairy tale. Houses and rooms stalked on top of each other that it seemed as if it would collapse any minute now. But it didn't, it stayed perfectly still and safe, no matter how many times Draco convinced himself it would fall.

"Draco!" A voice yelled. Draco looked up to see Ron Weasley running towards him at full speed before tackling him to the ground.

"Dude! Guess what?"

"Would you mind getting off me," Draco half laughed, trying to push the heavy redhead off his robes. "Anyways, whats up?"

"I came here in a flying car!" Harry finally spoke. His glasses were shifted oddly on his nose, and his hair was shuffled in a disarray of pieces.

"No way!" Draco's mouth fell wide open. Cars didn't fly, they just didn't.

Ron nodded and assured him it was true. They walked into the burrow together, while they went on and on about the heroic rescue from the Dursleys. Draco wished he would've been there, but quickly got over it at the sight of Mrs. Weasley.

"Draco, you finally made it. It's so glad to finally meet you." She came up to him and squeezed him so hard; he could barely breathe. But he loved it. It was a new, strange feeling. His mother never hugged him like that.

Draco sat down to home cooked meal by Mrs. Weasley, with the rest of the Weasley family, and Harry. Arthur talked about something at his work, before stopping mid-sentence and staring directly at Draco.

"Are you Lucius Malfoy's son?" He asked. Draco nodded. The whole room had quieted down and they were all looking at him.

"So you must be Slytherin, then. Tell me Ron, how did you get involved with a Slytherin?"

"Oh, dad. Haven't I told you before? He's Gryffindor!" Ron placed a hand over his face as if he was embarrassed by his fathers ignorance.

"I don't believe it's been mentioned. Draco Malfoy, a Gryffindor? Lucius Malfoy's son? Hah, I never would've guessed..." Arthur continued to eat, as Draco turned red.

"I don't really talk to them anymore... they disowned me. It's kind of a thing they do..." Draco said, trying to ensure Arthur he wasn't like his parents.

"Well where are you living now, dear? Surely you must be staying with someone?" Mrs. Weasley asked him, with a concerned, motherly look on her face.

"Oh, yes. I'm staying with my aunt and uncle, the Tonks. They mentioned they knew you from somewhere..." Draco said, shoving another spoon of potatoes in his mouth.

"The Tonks, the Tonks. Such lovely people, the Tonks are..." Arthur said with a large smile. They family continued eating, and Mrs. Weasley told the group about their plan to go to Hogsmeade tomorrow and get supplies for their second year. Draco finished eating, and followed Harry and Ron upstairs to the bedroom. Draco sat down and listened to a story about something weird that had happened to Harry over the summer.

"So- this house elf was telling me not to go to school and that's when-"

"Wait, what house elf? I didn't know you had one of those, Harry!" Ron smiled in amazement at the thought of having a house elf for himself.

"No, no. He wasn't mine, stupid! He was someone else's!" Harry rolled his eyes.

"What was his name?" Draco asked.

"Dobby."

"Wait a second... that's my mom and dad's house elf."


End file.
